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A review by book_concierge
A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh
3.0
Digital audiobook performed by Saskia Maarleveld.
Nalini Singh is known for her romantic fantasy books (which I’ve never read), but this is her debut adult detective mystery.
The setting is a remote town on the West Coast of New Zealand, populated primarily by indigenous Maori. When a beautiful young woman goes missing while on a regular run, people recall a summer some eight years earlier when several hikers when missing. But those women were all tourists to the area, while Miriama is a native, and knows to stay away from the dangerous cliff areas when she runs.
I really liked this mystery thriller, with several layers of intrigue. Detective Will Gallagher is a great character, with flaws and some darkness in his past … he is, after all, a big-city Detective now assigned to a small town in the middle of nowhere, the only policeman in a town that doesn’t even have a jail. Anahera Spencer-Ashby is recently returned from England to her hometown after her husband died in London. She may have been away for eight years, but she still knows more about the locals and local customs than Will. Together they form a good team.
The twists and turns kept me guessing, and I didn’t see the ending coming. I hope Singh will write another mystery featuring Will and Anahera, though the ending of these makes that seem unlikely. Still, if she writes it, I’ll read it.
Saskia Maarleveld does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and brings the characters to life.
Nalini Singh is known for her romantic fantasy books (which I’ve never read), but this is her debut adult detective mystery.
The setting is a remote town on the West Coast of New Zealand, populated primarily by indigenous Maori. When a beautiful young woman goes missing while on a regular run, people recall a summer some eight years earlier when several hikers when missing. But those women were all tourists to the area, while Miriama is a native, and knows to stay away from the dangerous cliff areas when she runs.
I really liked this mystery thriller, with several layers of intrigue. Detective Will Gallagher is a great character, with flaws and some darkness in his past … he is, after all, a big-city Detective now assigned to a small town in the middle of nowhere, the only policeman in a town that doesn’t even have a jail. Anahera Spencer-Ashby is recently returned from England to her hometown after her husband died in London. She may have been away for eight years, but she still knows more about the locals and local customs than Will. Together they form a good team.
The twists and turns kept me guessing, and I didn’t see the ending coming. I hope Singh will write another mystery featuring Will and Anahera, though the ending of these makes that seem unlikely. Still, if she writes it, I’ll read it.
Saskia Maarleveld does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and brings the characters to life.